RALEIGH, N.C. (6/11/12) – Running
missions in three different countries, the North Carolina National Guard's
1452nd Transportation Company, "Rough Riders", has remained ready,
proactive and flexible throughout its deployment.

"Afghanistan was not a part of the
original mission," said Army Sgt. Michael Nichols, truck driver with the
1452nd Trans. Co. "First we were moving equipment and supplies from Iraq
into Kuwait, and once the Iraq War ended, we came here."

The Soldiers of the 1452nd Trans. Co.
are happy here with their Afghanistan mission, and most of them actually
volunteered to be here, one way or another.

"I was born and raised in
Winston-Salem," said Spc. Maurice A. Coleman, truck driver with the 1452nd
Trans. Co. "So when I made the decision to enlist in the North Carolina
National Guard, I knew which unit I wanted to join. When I found out that the
unit was deploying, that sealed the deal for me."

Army Sgt. Thomas F. Lecky had initially
enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard through the National Guard's
"College First" program, which guarantees college students who join
the National Guard that they will not be called up for deployments until after
they complete their degree.

"I completed two semesters of
school, then heard that my unit was deploying," Lecky said. "I wanted
to go with my platoon, with my company. So, I just opted out of my 'College
First' contract to just deploy with them."

Army Staff Sgt. Stephen Herring, another
driver with the 1452nd Trans. Co., is on his second deployment. After serving
six years in the Marine Corps working with communications, Herring started a
successful career in trucking. Knowing how much he missed the military, a
friend suggested that Herring look into the National Guard.

Herring deployed in 2009 to Iraq with
the 230th Brigade Support Battalion's E Company, under the 30th Heavy Brigade
Combat Team.

Herring returned from his first
deployment only to hear a few months later that the 1452nd Trans. Co. would be
deploying soon.

"I kind of felt unfulfilled from my
first deployment," Herring said. "I enjoyed the deployment, and I
respect every single Soldier who has deployed there before, but I just didn't
feel like my time serving my country and state overseas was finished."

He immediately volunteered to go with
the 1452nd.

Lecky, Nichols and Herring not only
raised their hands to deploy with the 1452nd, but they also switched platoons
in order to go on the mission to Afghanistan. On top of that, Lecky and Herring
waived their optional two-week vacation, also known as R&R, to participate
in the new mission.

"When we were told that there was a
mission to Afghanistan, everyone was really excited," Herring said.
"Then we were told that the platoon going had to physically be in
Afghanistan for the entire mission.

"Because the Soldiers of fourth
platoon had already taken their [R&R] leave, they were selected to
go," Herring said.

"We both thought this new mission
was exciting and [we] may never get an opportunity to experience this
again,'" Lecky said. "So, we chose to switch from third platoon to
fourth platoon."

Neither Soldier said he has any regrets
in volunteering for this mission.

"During my first deployment I was
hauling equipment and supplies in and around Iraq," said Herring.
"For this deployment, not only did I help bring our troops and equipment
back out of Iraq, but I get the chance to convoy security. That's something
I've never done before."

The Soldiers each said that while they
never practiced convoy security operations during their Army truck driver
school, they learned the basics of this skill during basic training and
rehearsed during their pre-mobilization training.

"Convoy security isn't really in
our job description as [truck drivers]," said Nichols. "However,
anyone can say that we're just truck drivers, but we're Soldiers first – this
is one of those basic [Soldier] skills that we are using here."

WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his
wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and their five-year-old granddaughter, Natalie, shared
their first-hand experiences on how the deployment of a military parent can
impact children during a USO-hosted book reading here today.

The Bidens traveled to the District of
Columbia National Guard Armory to meet with children of members of the D.C.
National Guard. Dr. Biden read from her new book, “Don’t Forget, God Bless Our
Troops.”

Dr. Biden’s book teaches coping methods
for military children who are dealing with the absence of loved ones during
deployment. The book provides a personal account of Natalie’s experience in
coping when her father, then-Army Capt. Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, departed in
the fall of 2008 for a year-long deployment to Iraq with his Delaware National
Guard unit. Biden, a military lawyer, has since been promoted to major.

“There are tens of thousands of
beautiful kids just like this all over the country,” Vice President Biden said
at the armory. “What we found out … was when your mommy and daddy are away it’s
a hard thing. It’s a difficult thing.”

“So Jill found out there’s a lot of ways
to kind of make you feel better,” he added. “By the way, it’s not just little
kids. You don’t have to be four, five, six, seven or eight. You can be 17, 18,
[or] 19. It doesn’t matter.”

Elaine Rogers, president of USO of
Metropolitan Washington, explained to the children who Dr. Biden was and why
she came up with the idea to write a book to help military families.

“She loves children,” Rogers said of Dr.
Biden. “But do you know which children are very special to her? Military
children -- children who have …” [one or both parents] “in the military.”

Rogers said Dr. Biden knows things can
be hard when parents are away because of her experiences with her own two
grandchildren, Natalie and Hunter.

“This is Natalie’s story, as well as
your story, because how many your moms and dads have gone to Iraq or
Afghanistan?” Dr. Biden asked the children. “What I realized when I went around
this country, is that many Americans don’t even know anybody, at all, in the
military.”

“And they don’t know how strong you are
and how resilient you are when your moms and dads are away,” she added.

Prior to reading the book in its
entirety, the Bidens provided free copies to each child at the armory. Proceeds
from book sales, Rogers said, will be donated to the USO to support the education
of military children.

“We’re going to make scholarships for
kids like you when you get ready to go to college,” Rogers told the children.

Vice President Biden reminded the
children to remember they are not alone in their experiences and their parents
are constantly thinking of them.

“Just remember when your daddy and mommy
are working for the country and they’re away -- they’re always, always thinking
about you,” he said. “And parents, thank you very much. Thank you for your
service. It’s amazing what you do.”

WASHINGTON – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey,
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returned to his high school alma
mater today to encourage the John S. Burke Catholic High School graduating
class to embrace new opportunities in a demanding, fast-changing world.

The chairman addressed the graduates of
the school, based in Goshen, N.Y., in an auditorium at the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point, N.Y., from which he graduated in 1974.

“Push yourself to explore space you
haven’t considered before, to lead where leadership is required and to keep
options open -- because life will deal you changes and challenges you’ll have
to figure out,” Dempsey told the 2012 class.

“The future will find you,” he said. “Be
ready.”

Dempsey and his wife Deanie both are
Burke High graduates, and he was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in
2003. He told the new graduates today he’s never forgotten his roots, and how
his own high school experiences prepared him for what was ahead.

Recognizing the many high achievers in
this year’s class, the chairman cautioned them not to rest on past
accomplishments. “No matter how successful you’ve been up to this point, you
need to keep working to be better than you think you can be,” he said.

It’s a lesson he said he learned quickly
after arriving at West Point with his solid Burke record. “I realized that I
had to keep getting better,” he said. “I realized that never settling for
mediocre is one of our enduring national traits. As a nation, we dare to be
great.”

Dempsey urged the students to be willing
to take the risks as they “push the envelope” and embrace new opportunities.

“Many of you will exceed your wildest
imaginations,” he said. But in doing so, he encouraged them to stay true to
their moral compasses and never lose sight of their values. “Prioritize what’s
most important to you,” and keep those priorities in order, he said.

As they apply the lessons they’ve
learned to overcome obstacles they confront, Dempsey urged the class to serve,
whether in the military or other endeavors. He congratulated those headed to
military academies or ROTC units, and said other graduates may find their
calling to serve in other vocations.

Dempsey said he looks forward to seeing
the new graduates make a difference and impact society as they help influence
the future.

“Your life takes on meaning only as the
causes to which you attach yourself have meaning,” the chairman said. “The
greatest value of a life is to spend it for something that lives after it. “

“In the end, you become what you are
through some cause you have made your own,” he concluded.

FORT MEADE, Md. – The military judge trying the case of
alleged WikiLeaker Army Pfc. Bradley Manning today rejected a defense motion to
throw out 10 of the 22 charges against him.

Army Col. Denise Lind refused the
defense’s argument that eight of the charges are unconstitutionally vague and
overly broad.

She also upheld two other charges that
Manning had exceeded his authorized access to classified Defense Department
networks. Lind did announce, however, that she would use a narrow
interpretation of the statute in this case. This raises the standard for what
the prosecution will need to prove for Manning to be found guilty, a military lawyer
told reporters.

The judge also announced that Manning’s
trial, initially scheduled to begin Sept. 21, likely will be delayed until
November or possibly January. The defense team had asked for more time to
review documents associated with the case and prepare its arguments.

The rulings came at the end of a
three-day hearing here leading up to what’s expected to be a three-week trial.

Manning, 24, is accused of the largest
intelligence leak in U.S. history while deployed to Iraq as a military
intelligence analyst. The former 10th Mountain Division soldier is accused of
installing unauthorized software onto government computers to extract
classified information, unlawfully downloading it, improperly storing it, and
transmitting the data to the whistle-blowing group WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands
of these documents, including classified records about military operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website.

Manning is charged with aiding the
enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing
that it is accessible to the enemy, theft of public property or records,
transmitting defense information, and fraud and related activity in connection
with computers. The charges also include violation of Army Regulations 25-2
“Information Assurance” and 380-5 “Department of the Army Information Security
Program.”

If found guilty, Manning could receive
up to life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted
grade, and face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable
discharge.

Much of this week’s pre-trial hearing,
one of several to iron out issues related to the case, centered around what
documents are being made available, and how quickly, for the defense to prepare
for the trial.

Manning’s civilian attorney, David
Coombs, complained of getting discovery documents too slowly, in a piecemeal
fashion or with so many sections redacted – meaning parts of them have been
blacked out – that they’re of little value.

The defense team hopes to use these
documents to show that Manning caused little or no damage.

Yesterday, three State Department
officials called by the defense testified that the department stood up three
different teams after the leaks occurred to do damage control, identify people
considered to be at risk because of the disclosures and improve computer
security. The witnesses did not testify about what damages may have been
caused.

In an effort to keep the proceedings as
close to the projected schedule as possible, Lind announced this week that she
would add additional pretrial hearings to assess progress and break through any
logjams.

Lind announced that the next hearing
will be June 25. At that session, both the prosecution and defense teams are
scheduled to submit recommended instructions for the court to give the panel at
the trial.

The defense team will have the choice of
having the case decided by Lind alone, a military panel, or a jury.